The invention relates to an information processing method and an information receiving apparatus which are suitable for use in a system such that information is distributed by using, for example, a BS (Broadcast Satellite) broadcast, the information is stored, and when the user wants to view it, the stored information can be viewed.
A system which provides information to the user by using BS broadcasts has been considered. That is, although BS broadcasts are used for transmitting a digital satellite broadcast, the broadcast is finished at night and the user hardly watches the broadcast. The information may be transmitted by the BS broadcast using a time interval in the night-time. The information is stored in the storage device of a contracted user terminal. The user views the information stored in the storage device at a desired time.
If the system is designed in a manner such that data can be transmitted and received through, for example, a telephone line between the storage device in which the received information has been stored and an information distribution center which provides the information, the user can return an action to the information distribution center on the basis of the stored information. For example, if shopping information is transmitted from the information distribution center, the user can return a request to purchase goods to the information distribution center in accordance with the information. It is, therefore, considered that such a system can be used in various fields such that contents, such as movies or music, are distributed and sold, an advertisement or brochure for goods is distributed and the goods are sold, travel information is distributed and a reservation for an airline ticket or a hotel room is made, information concerning plays, concerts or other performances is distributed and a ticket is reserved and sold, and the like.
In such a system, when a list of information items stored in the storage device is displayed and desired information is designated from the list of the information items, the designated information may be viewed. The information in the storage device is always updated by the operation of the user. Therefore, the list of the information stored in the storage device is formed on the user terminal side.
When the list of the information items stored in the storage device is displayed, the information may be sequentially arranged in the order of names or storing dates like “A, B, C, . . . ” or “a, b, c, d, e”. If the information is arranged in this manner, however, information in which the user is not much interested may be arranged at the beginning of the list and information in which the user is interested may be arranged at the end of the list. There is also a possibility that some information may have priority, and it is desired to arrange the information of higher priority at the beginning of the list.
In such a system, although the information received at night is successively stored in the storage device, the memory capacity of the storage device is limited. When new information is stored, therefore, it may be necessary to delete some information which has been stored previously. One method of deleting the stored information is to sequentially delete the information in the order in which it was stored, oldest first. However, if such a method is used, there is a possibility that information that is used frequently by the user or information having high priority may be deleted.
Further, when information received at night is stored in the storage device, if it is stored in the order in which it is received, the storage device may be filled by useless information, and when an attempt is made to store information of interest to the user or information having high priority, there may be insufficient storage capacity available in the storage device.